San Francisco’s own homegrown circus Circus Bella has, for the third year running, pitched its candy-striped big top tent in downtown San Francisco. Offering a respite from real world responsibilities, Circus Bella welcomes one and all into their dazzling world. STARLIGHT , their all-new Winter circus spectacular, offers an appealing mix of fresh acts and familiar faces.  The tricks are consistently thrilling and the clowning is so hilarious that STARLIGHT   left me with achi

Fill the snow-bags, hang the star-drop, fluff the tinsel, and steam the capes! It is time once more for Smuin Contemporary Ballet’s effervescent showcase,  The Christmas Ballet . Act I:  The Classical Christmas features a dozen contemporary and classical ballets.  Act 2: The Cool Christmas expands genres to include musical theater, tap, jazz, Irish Celtic dance and even a bit of hula.  The proceedings feel decidedly West Coast.  Designers Douglas Schmidt (Scenic), Sandra Wood

Contemporary dance in the Bay Area has a fresh and exciting contender in Tether Dance Project (Tether), co-directed by Tatianna Steiner, Ella Wright, and Teo Lin-Bianco, a trio of recent UC Berkeley graduates.  Recognizing the hard-realities of limited space and financial resources, compounded by the diminished arts funding, these enterprising artists launched Tether to support young and upcoming artists.  Their first production Flux & Form  at the Joe Goode Annex November 14

Free dance in a sublime open-air setting, on a perfect fall morning, is literally what dreams are made of, if you are me.    As I cross the wooden entry bridge into Golden Gate Park’s Japanese Tea Garden, my senses are enlivened. I am here, on this first Tuesday in November for the 10:15 a.m. showing of Sharp and Fine’s Stories and Dreams .  I am curious to see what working in an outdoor public space with a shortened development phase has inspired from Co-Directors Megan and